HCA Publications

HCA Journal

Published six times a year, this colour A4 Magazine is the official journal of the Hospital Caterers Association and is distributed throughout the NHS to catering and hotel services managers at all levels. The Journal is specifically designed to inform members of the developments taking place within the industry, new working practices, technical innovations as well as providing a practical guide to purchasing.

Contributions are welcome from members and non members - please contact Judith Hindley on 0161 872 6667, if you have any ideas for articles or would like to see any particular topics covered in the next journal.

Remember -This is a Journal for Hospital Caterers written by Hospital Caterers!

We depend on contributions to make the Journal what it is - so use it to publicise your branch, your members or your products/services.

HCA Good Practice Guides

A Good Practice Guide to ward level services – Healthcare Food and Beverage Service Standards

Additional copies can be purchased by completing the following order form and either emailing to hca@lansdownepublishing.com or faxing back to Lansdowne Publishing on 0161 872 6665.

There is widespread public concern about the food and hydration service in the NHS and many initiatives have been put in place since the launch of the Better Hospital Food Programme by the Department of Health in 2001. More…

The Good Practice Guide provides a framework for nurses and other healthcare practitioners at all levels. It has the potential to really make a difference to the nutritional status of people when they are in hospital and has received endorsements for the following organisations click here.

Retail and Commercial Service Standards
An operational guide to services

All members have received a complimentary copy of the above publication.

Additional copies can be purchased by completing the following order form and faxing back to Lansdowne Publishing on 0161 872 6665.

Council of Europe Resolution Food and Nutritional Care in Hospitals

The Council of Europe Resolution contains the 10 key characteristics of good nutritional care in hospitals, recommendations to the Government of the member states and the five broad areas of the resolution.

Dysphagia and Dementia, A Caterer's Guide

Dysphagia Diet Food Texture Descriptors

Dysphagia Diet Food Descriptors which have been endorsed by all the relevant groups of the working party are now available and are recommended to be adopted for use by all to reduce the incidents of confusion.

Menu planning for preventing food waste

Produced by WRAP, the menu planning webcast assists you in reducing the impact of waste, which we are all aware is a key focus to us all. This builds upon the work we did jointly last year with the screencasts which offer a step-by-step guide enabling hospital caterers to reduce food and associated packaging waste and to recycle more.

This webcast series:

gives an overview of waste in the healthcare sector;

identifies food waste prevention opportunities;

provides advice to help healthcare facilities prevent food waste and realise the associated cost savings; and

introduces WRAP’s business support including tools and guidance available under WRAP’s Hospitality and Food Service.

Allergen Toolkit for Healthcare Catering

The Hospital Caterers Association (HCA) and The Association of UK Dietitians (BDA), through its Food Counts! specialist group, have worked together to produce and launch a new toolkit that addresses food allergies/intolerances within healthcare catering settings.

HCA Strategy Document 2013-2017

The Strategy Document has been developed by the HCA Executive and approved by Council for the benefit of the Association and its members. The document describes the key activities, the challenges facing members and outlines future plans for the association.

All Wales Nutrition and Catering Standards for Food and Fluid Provision for Hospital Inpatients

Quality Improvement Scotland ‘Food, Fluid and Nutrition Care’

These standards are designed to drive improvements in the recognition of malnutrition, in hospital catering, and in the promotion of a strategic and co-ordinated approach to food, fluid and nutritional care in NHS boards.

Northern Ireland Food Standards

Patient Safety Alert – by NHS England

Dysphagia (swallowing problems) occurs in all care settings1 and as caterers we know the importance of providing dysphagia food and drink is essential to the patient’s recovery, but we know fully that it has to be done correctly and safely.

The National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) database has identified patient safety incidents where harm has been caused by the accidental swallowing of the powder, when it had not been properly stored out of reach.

Guidance – Commissioning Excellent Nutrition and Hydration 2015–2018

The HCA has been part of a National Strategic Advisory Group that includes representatives from the National Association of Care Caterers, Age UK and the British Dietetic Association. This group has created new guidance launched by NHS England on 'commissioning excellent nutrition and hydration'.

The document outlines why commissioners should make nutrition and hydration a priority; how to tackle the problems; how to assess the impact of commissioned services; how commissioners have begun to tackle the problems; and further resources to help commissioners address the issue.

BDA Food Services Nutrition Toolkit for Healthcare Catering

The BDA Food Services Specialist Group has compiled the following toolkit about the steps that must be taken in order to comply with the nutrition labelling requirements set out in Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 on the provision of Food Information to Consumers (EU FIC), due to come into force on the 13th December 2016.